Pay attention to how you do in high school. Your performance in high school often dictates how you will do in college and college admission personnel will take this performance into consideration while looking over your application for admission. It is recommended that you try to perform your best in high school and try not to make anything lower than a C in any class (this looks good on your high school transcript.
Take a standardized test. Generally as a freshman or a sophomore in high school, students take a standardized test (either the SAT or ACT) to help colleges further evaluate your application for admission. Before taking the test, it is strongly advised that you obtain study materials respective to the standardized test you desire to take. Studying these materials will help you perform your best (especially if this is your first time). Also before taking the test, remember the higher you score on the test, the better chance you may have of getting into school (1100 or above on the SAT and 26 or above on the ACT is gold for admission counselors).
Apply for financial aid. This is just about the only way of paying for higher education for 70-82% of families who have students going to college every year. The way to apply for financial aid is by filing a FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. By filing a FAFSA, you are exposed to scholarships, federal grants, federal loans and some state funding may also be available. In order to reap the full benefits of your FAFSA, it is recommended that you file it before March 31st of the year you plan to apply for federal aid.
Apply to the school of your choice. This is the part we all get excited about. In order to apply to a college, the general requirements are: an application (of course), application fee (usually between 35-45 dollars), copy of your H.S. transcript, the results of your FAFSA, SAT/ACT results and any other requirement that your school may issue. When applying to college, be sure that you consider cost, geographic location and each university/college requirement.